A look at some of Houston’s high-tech structures

A global forum on energy efficiency, the environment and commercial real estate was held in Houston earlier this week. About 100 people attended the meeting, which included a tour of high-performing buildings along the Katy Freeway and Energy Corridor.

Attendees included developers, architects and investors as well as officials from as far away as Johannesburg and Tokyo.

The tour was organized in part to challenge some of the preconceived ideas people have about Houston, said Ann Taylor of the Urban Land Institute’s Houston chapter, which sponsored the event with the institute’s Climate, Land Use and Energy Initiative group in Washington D.C.

“They might have expected to come and see cactus and tumbleweeds,” Taylor said. “These corporate campuses are so fascinating. They’ve been able to create these environments that are world class.”

The tour included four stops: Ikea, BP Westlake, Eldridge Place and ConocoPhillips.

We’ll have an article in Sunday’s Business section about these four westside developments.